A tray for product vending machines, the tray having at least one channel with an outlet; a conveying device extending along the channel to support a column of products and feed the products to the outlet; and a release device for selectively allowing the products through the outlet, and having an independent passive retaining member, which extends across the channel to intercept a top portion of the first product in the column, and is moved by the first product from a normal withdrawn position to a forward position, in which the passive retaining member is located at least partly past the outlet in the travelling direction of the conveying device.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A tray for product vending machines, the tray comprising: at least one channel having an outlet and two lateral walls, and housing a column of products; conveying means for feeding the products successively to and through the outlet; and a release device for allowing the products successively through the outlet comprising stop means and retaining means independent of each other; wherein the conveying means is designed to feed the products successively to and through the outlet in a straight travelling direction; wherein the stop means is located, together with the retaining means, at the outlet, and activatable to move between a position at least partly closing the outlet, and a position opening the outlet to release a first product in the column; wherein the retaining means comprises a fixed portion and a movable portion, which is supported by the fixed portion and extends across the channel to intercept a top portion of the first product; and wherein the movable portion is elastically deformable between a withdrawn position, in which the movable portion is located at the outlet and inside the channel, and a forward position, in which the movable portion is located at least partly past the outlet in the travelling direction.
2. A tray as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the retaining means are passive, and are moved by the first product into the forward position.
3. A tray as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the withdrawn position of the retaining means is a normal position of stable equilibrium.
4. A tray as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conveying means comprise a coil conveyor extending along the channel and having a succession of turns, wherein each pair of adjacent turns houses a respective product in the column; the coil conveyor incorporating the stop means, being activated to feed the products to the outlet in the traveling direction, and having a free end turn located at the outlet and defining the stop means.
5. A tray as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the stop means are defined by an end turn of the coil conveyor.
6. A tray as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the retaining means comprise a gate-type member, which is fitted to the respective lateral walls at the respective outlet; the fixed portion comprising two uprights, each extending upwards from the respective lateral wall and having a top end; and the movable portion comprising an elastically deformable crosspiece connecting the top ends of the uprights together.
7. A tray as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the crosspiece extends substantially horizontally between the top ends of the uprights and crosswise to the traveling direction, and comprises an elastic member connecting said top ends; and a tubular body fitted to the elastic member and movable through the outlet by deformation of the elastic member.
8. A product vending machine comprising a tray as claimed in claim 1 .
9. A tray as claimed in Claim 6 , wherein the movable portion Comprises an elastic member.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
March 10, 2010
July 29, 2014
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.